Hinds County looks for inmate housing after pod destroyed

Hinds County officials are working to find housing for inmates after a disturbance left massive damage at the detention center.

Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis said there was no resistance from inmates Monday afternoon as tactical teams moved into Pod C and put an end to the disturbance that lasted about 10 hours.

Lewis told the Hinds County Board of Supervisors during an emergency meeting held Monday afternoon that the jail pod was destroyed. He said inmates flooded the cells, ripped doors off hinges and cut through them. In addition, there was ceiling and electrical damage -- all of which will take time to repair, he said.

Hinds County Board of Supervisors President Robert Graham said the repairs will be covered by insurance.

The sheriff said the detention center can't take any additional inmates. Some will have to be housed in jails in Rankin and Madison counties, Lewis said. The Board of Supervisors said it would cost $40 a day per inmate.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said on Monday that he planned transport more than 30 Hinds County inmates to the jail in Brandon.

Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Tomie Green said the court system is assessing which inmates may be eligible for house arrest or alternative housing. All criminal proceedings have been suspended until a solution is reached.

The incident began about 2:30 a.m. Monday at the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond, Lewis said. A detention officer doing a security check found 25-year-old inmate Kendall Johnson being uncooperative, Lewis said. Johnson was put in isolation, but got out and caused a disturbance in a jail pod that involved about 150 inmates, Lewis said.

Men identifying themselves as inmates, including Johnson, called 16 WAPT News on Monday before the officers moved into Pod C. The inmates said they were tired of being jumped on and beaten by guards at the detention center.

Johnson said he spent two hours in isolation and then he was put in handcuffs by the guards.